Hinge butt mortising machine



June 4, 1957 w. GRATHWOL. 2,794,460

HINGE BUTT MORTISING MACHINE Filed March 10. 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 8w w 1 l 20 F: g. I l 1 Z L 4d 7 VENTOR 2? W ATTORNEYS June 4, 1957 w. L. GRATHWOL 2,794,469v

HINGE BUTT MORTISING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 10. 1954 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS,

June 4, 1957 w. L. GRATHWOL 2,794,460

HINGE BUTT MORTISING MACHINE Filed March 1Q. 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I BY I.,III\IVENTO R 5a ATTORNEYS United States Patent HINGE BUTT MORTISING MACHINE William L. Grathwol, Stratford, Conn; Application March 10,1954, Serial No. 415,296v 6 Claims. (Q1. 144-27) This invention relates to a hinge butt mortising machine, and has for an object to provide a simple and effective device for recessing or mortising the free edge of a door orthe face of a door jamb to receive the butt of a hinge.

Another object is to provide a device of this character which will facilitate the operation of cutting the mortise, and will insure that the bottom wall of the mortise or recess is fiat and parallel with the edge of the door or face of the jamb so that the butt of the hinge is properly positioned and not inclined or tilted.

A further object is to provide a device in which the outline of the mortise or recess is accurately located and Fig. 11a is a plan view ofone end portion of the knifeholding head with the upright blade removed;

Fig. 12 is a partial side view and partial section of the device of Fig. 11, and

Fig. 13 is a transverse section substantially on line 13-13 of Fig. 12.

The operation of properly cutting the mortise or re-' cess for a hinge butt in a door or door jamb with the usual hand chisels is a difiicult one and requires a skilled: operator, besides requiring considerable time. The present device is designed to quickly and accurately both out-- line the mortise and accurately remove the material rsitlitin this outline by simple operations which may be performed by practically anyone, and so does not require a. skilled operator. The operation of forming the mortise or mortised recess is performed in two steps. First the; position of the mortise is properly determined, and then; the mortise is outlined to the correct size of the hinge; butt and then accurately cut to the proper depth to correspond to the thickness of this butt, and then the:

. material within this cut outline is removed by a horizon-- readily cut to exactly the proper depth and then the material within this cut outline is removed in a single operation at a proper and uniform depth.

A still further object is to provide a device by which the mortise is always located or positioned from the surface in which it is located to insure that the bottom of the mortise is parallel to this top surface and not tipped or inclined to it.

Another object is to provide an improved cutting edge for the knife used in cutting the bottom of the mortise, which will give a much better cut and cuts in such a way as not to tend to pull up and split the material at the outer ends of the mortise.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, I have devised the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification. It is, however, to be understood the invention is not limited to the specific details of construction and arrangement shown, but may embody various changes and modifications within the scope of the invention.

In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the portion of the device used in locating and cutting the outline of the mortise and showing it as it is used on the edge of a door;

Fig. 1a is a partial plan view of one end of the holder of Fig. 1 with the knife blade removed;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the device;

Fig. 3 is a front view looking from the left of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a side view looking toward the bottom of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a detailed section substantially on the line 55 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a section of an edge of the cutting knives on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the portion of the device used for making the bottom cut of the mortise to remove the material within the cut outline and showing it applied to a door jamb;

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section substantially on line 8-8 of Fig. 7;

Figs. 9 and 10 are detail sections substantially on lines 9-9 and 1010 respectively of Fig. 8;

Fig. 11 is a top plan view of a modified arrangement of the device;

tal cut at the proper depth below the face or surface in; which the mortise is being formed.

In the first form of this machine of Figs. 1 to 10, ther device for cutting the outline of the mortise is shown in; Figs. 1 to 6, and the device for then making the cut at: the bottom of the outlined mortise is shown in Figs. 7 to) 10. The first device comprises a head 1 having means: for mounting three vertical knives 2 and 3 for making; the two transverse end cuts and the connecting intermedi ate cut respectively, the intermediate cut made by the: knife 3 being spaced inwardly from the side of the door; or jamb, in the illustration the door 4, the proper dis tance corresponding to the width of the butt of the.- hinge to be mounted in it, and the blades 2 being spaced to correspond with the length to this butt. The knife 3 is mounted on an upright wall surface 5 under an overhanging wall 6 by any suitable means such as screws 7, and the upper edge of the knife abuts the surface 6, as shown in Fig. 5, so that the force of driving the knife into the material is transmitted from this wall to the blade instead of through the screws 7. The two end blades 2 are mounted on upright holders 8 each mounted in a recess 9 at the opposite ends of the head 1 for vertical sliding movement, and they are retained in the recess by spring Patented June 4, 1957 plates 10 across the open side of the recess and securedj by any suitable means such, for example, as the screws, These spring plates are normally transversely curved,

the screws 11 they are stressed and thus maintain a fric tional spring pressure on the blade holders 8. These. holders are recessed on their lower ends and the blades; 2 are mounted in these recesses with their top edges en gaging the tops of the recesses so that the force of driving the blade into the woodwork of the door or jamb is; transmitted directly from the holder to the top of the, blade and not through the screw 12 for securing the blade in the holder. The lower, end 13 of the holder engaging the top surface 14 of the door 4, or if used on a door jamb 50 the top surface 50a thereof (Figs. 7 and 8) limits the downward movement of the cutter blade and determines the depth of cut, or this could be determined by the head 8b of a stop pin carried by the holder engaging the top wall 1a of the head. The holder projects above the top of the head 1 as indicated at 8a and forms a striking head or surface to be hit by a hammer for driving the blade 2 into the wood of the door or jamb to the proper depth. A similar striking head or surface 15 is provided on top of the head 1 for driving the connecting blade 3, and thedepth of cut made by this blade is QQT-LU against removal by a transverse plate 65 secured to the under side of the head by any suitable means, such as the bolts or screws 66, which may also be used for mounting the chps 63, and the opposite ends of this plate 65 overlap the under sides of the side bars as shown in Fig. 10, to retain the head on the frame. This head has a downwardly extending lug 67 in which is a clamping screw 68 having a swivel connection 69 with the clamp ing bar 57, and the screw may be operated by any suitable means, such, for example, as a shdable pin 70 forming a hand grip.

In using this clamp the head 58 and the clamping bar 57 are given a quick rough adjustment toward or against the side of the door 4 or jamb 50 by first lifting the locking bar 61 to remove its opposite ends from the notches 69 on the side bars of the frame. Then by dropping the end portions of bar 61 in the adjacent set of notches 60 the head 58 is locked against outward movement. Then by turning the screw 68 only a small amount the clamping bar 57 is firmly clamped against the jamb or door, securely clamping the device in place and securely and accurately holding it for the cutting operation previously described.

The under sides of the side bars 25 of the frame comprise surfaces 71 and 72 of different heights, the surfaces 71 resting against the top or edge surface 50a of the jamb 50 or top 14 of door 4 to position the frame thereon, while the curved surface 48 engages the side surface of the door or jamb and properly positions the device with respect thereto. The surface 48 is curved in a vertical plane convexly so as to give substantially a hne contact with the face of the door or jamb, and thus insure proper location of the device even with an irregular side or nonvertical face on the door or jamb, which might not necessarily be true if this surface were a flat vertical surface. Also the recess or space formed by locating the surface 72 spaced above the surface 71 permits the use of the device on a door jamb which may have a rabbetted face or an intermediate projecting rib, indicated by the broken line 73 in Fig. 8, and therefore will properly locate the device without interference from this rib.

In the use of the device, after the outline cut has been made by the cutter of Figs. 1 to 6, and which outline is indicated by the broken line 55 in Fig. 7, the frame 24 is placed on the edge of the door or jamb with the curved surface 48 against one side face and the blade 23 lined up with its opposite ends in alignment with the opposite end cuts 55a of the outline 55. Then the clamp, including the head 58 and the clamping bar 57, are shifted against the opposite side of the door or jamb as previously described, and the clamp 57 set up tight by the screw 68. During this operation, of course, the head 27 is retracted to the left so that the edge of the blade 23 clears the side surface of the door or jamb. However, after the clamp is set this edge is at the proper distance below the top surface 14 of the door 4 or surface 50a of jamb 50 to correspond with the proper depth of the mortise to be cut in the door. Then by shifting the head 27 and with it the blade 23 to the right as viewed in Figs. 7 and 8, by operation of the handle of the ratchet, as previously described, the edge of the blade 23 is forced into the door jamb as indicated in these figures, to accurately, smoothly and uniformly cut the material 54 within the outline cut 55 and remove it, accurately cutting the bottom surface of the mortise at the proper depth from and parallel with the top or edge surface 14 or 50a of the door or jamb, with a simple operation. After cutting this bottom of the mortise the head 27 and the blade 23 may be retracted or withdrawn by reversing the ratchet, as previously described.

The two portions of the machine for first making the outline cut of the mortise and then the bottom cut to remove the material within the outline out are hingedly secured together in the form of Figs. 11 to 13. In this form the frame 74 corresponds to the frame 24 of the first form, except that at the rear end portiori it has a pair of downwardly extending lugs 75 at the rear. ends of the side bars 25. Otherwise this frame is the same as that of Figs. 7 and 8 and carries the same head or holder 27 for the horizontal cutter 23, and has the same racks cooperating with the gears on the shaft carried by this head and operated by the ratchet 37 by means of the handle 40 as previously described. It has the same clamping means forclamping the device on the edge of a door 4 or jamb 50, as in the first form. In this form, however, there is a second frame 76 for carrying the vertical blades 2 and 3 for making the vertical or out line out for the mortise. This frame has spaced side bars 77 connected at their rear ends by a transverse angle bar 78 from which depends a pair of lugs 79 at the inner sides of the lugs 75, and to which they are pivoted by the transverse hinge pin or rod 80.

At their opposite or forward ends the side bars 77 are connected by the transverse bar 81 carrying a head 82 corresponding to the head 1 of the first form. At the rear and under side of this head is a recess 83 in which is mounted the upright cutter blade 3 by the screws 84 the same as in the form of Fig. 1. In this form, however, the end blades are numbered 2a, because they are in the same location and perform the same operation as the blades 2 of the first form, but are mounted somewhat differently than the blades 2 in the first form. In this form the opposite ends of the head 82 are provided with upright channels 85 and the blade 2a has a reduced intermediate portion 86 which is seated in and slides in this channel, the open side of the channel being covered by spring plates 87 secured by the screws 88, these spring plates being laterally curved as described in connection with the bladeholders 8 of the first form, so that they are stressed to engage the blades when they are clamped in position. In this form the upper end of the blade itself is provided with a hammering head 89, instead of this head being on a holder for the blade as in the first form, and the under wall 90 of this head by engaging the top wall of the head 82 forms a limit stop for limiting and.

determining the downward movement of the blade under the hammering operation and thus determining the depth of the cut made to correspond with the thickness of the hinge butt. The head 82 is also provided with a hammering lug or surface 91 for use in driving the connecting blade 3.

In this form there are also provided on each of the side bars 77 of the frame 76 a fiat spring 92 secured at the under side of the bar by any suitable means, such, for example, as the rivets 93. These springs resting on top of side bars 25 of the lower frame normally hold the upper frame 76 somewhat elevated with the blades 2a and 3 spaced above the surface of the door or jamb until the device is properly located and clamped in position by the locating surface 48 and the clamp 57, as described in connection with the first form. Then after depressing the upper frame to bring the edges of the blades in engagement with the edge of the door or jamb they may be driven to cut the outline cuts 55, 55a to the proper depth by hammering on the heads 91 and 89. At this time the lower surface of head 82, corresponding to surfaces 16 of the first form, rests on the surface of the door or jamb while making the outline cuts the same as in the first form.

It will be seen from the above that in each form the device may be readily and quickly applied to the edge of a door or door jamb in which the mortise is to be cut for the butt of a hinge, and then the outhne cuts made first by forcing the upright blades through the material by a hammering operation, which may be easily and quickly performed, and as the blades are accurately located the mortise outline may be accurately cut to the exact size of the hinge butt and accurately to the proper outline cut already made, the bottom out is easily 6 and quickly made to remove the material'between the outline cuts, and this bottom cut is accurately and uniformly made at the proper depth" below the' face of the door or jamb to correspond with the thickness of the hinge butt, and this bottom surface is perfectly flat and 10 uniformly parallel with the outer surface of the door or jamb so that when the butt is seated within the recess it is located accurately parallel with this surface and not in any way tipped out of this parallel position.

It will be seen that the devices for both operations for making the outline cuts and the bottom out are located from the outer surface in which the mortise is cut and the hinge mounted so that the outline and the bottom cuts are each properly located andcu't with respect to this surface, the bottom surface being parallel thereto, for properly locating the hinge butt parallel to'this surface.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, 1 claim:

1. A device for cutting a hinge butt mortise in a door or jamb comprising a head member, three upright knife blades carried by said head member, two being arranged in spaced parallel relation and the third extending between the two at one end to outline the mortise, means mounting the first two blades for vertical movement comprising upright channels in the head member open at their outer sides and spring plates extending across the open sides of I the channels and stressed to maintain a frictional spring pressure against the blades in the channels locating means. to engage a sideface of the door or jamb to locate the blades over the surface in which the mortise is to be cut,

means by which the blades may be driven into said surface to the proper depth to cut the outline of the mortise,

a frame including means carrying a horizontal knife blade, said horizontal blade having a cutting edge inclined backwardly from. its opposite ends to substantially the center thereof, means for clamping said frame on the door or jamb and locate the latter blade at one side 'of the 7 door or jamb in alignment with said cut outline and spaced below the surface in which the mortise is to be. cut a distance equal to the depth of the mortise, and means for forcing the cutting edge of the latter blade into the material of the door or jamb to make th'e'bottom cut of the mortise and remove the material within the cut outline.

2. A device for cutting a hinge mortise in a dooror jamb comprising a head. member, upright knife blades carried by said member comprisingan intermediate and end blades arranged with their cutting edges forming three sides of a rectangle of the size offthe mortise to be cut, locating means to engage surfaces of the door or jamb to locate the blades over the surface-in which the mortise is to be cut, upright guides at the opposite ends of the-memher in which the end blades are mounted'for verticalsliding movement, said guides comprising channels open at their outer sides, spring plates extending across the open sides of the channels andstressed to maintain a frictional spring pressure against the end blades 'in the guides, and means whereby the blades may be driven into the door paralleltosaid surface to cutthe bottom of a mortise within a previously cut outline insaid surface, comprisinga toothed rack on eachofsaid. side bars, a shaft mounted. in the carrier, a gearpinion adjacent each end'of the carrier meshing with each rack and secured to'the shaft, and means to rotatetheshaft to simultaneously operate the 'pinions to'shiffthe carrier. 1

4. A device for cutting a hinge butt mortise in a door or jamb comprisingra frameincluding laterally spaced 'side bars, a transverse carrier extending between and mounted for sliding-movement on saidbars, a horizontal knife blade mounted on saidfcarrier, locating. surfaces on the frame tocooper'ate with the surface of the door or jamb in which the mortise is to be cut to locatesaid blade below said surfacea distance equal to the depth ofthe mortise, a transverse bar carriedby said side bars pro-- vided 'with a transversely convex. positioning surface to engage one side of the door or jamb, aclatnping bar carried 'by the-frame to engage the opposite side ofthe door or jamb, means for clamping said latter bar against the door or jamb'to clamp the frame theretocomprising a screw having a swivel connection to theclamping bar permitting lateral rocking movement thereof, and means I whereby the carrier may be shifted to force the blade into said material parallel Itosaid surface of thedoor or jamb in which the mortise is to be cut to cut the bottom of the mortise.

5, A device'for cutting a hinge butt mortisein a door or jamb comprising a frame including laterally spaced side bars, a transversecarrier extending between and mounted for sliding movement on said bars, a-horizontal knife blade mounted omsaidcarrier, locatingisurfaces onthe frameto. cooperate with the surfaceof the door or jamb in which theimor tise is tobe cut to locate said blade below said'surface a distance equal to the depth of the mortise, .a transverse bar carried by. said side bars provided with a transversely and convexly curved positioning' surface to. engageone side oflthe door or jamb, a clamping means to cooperate with said transverse bar to 0' clamp the frame to; the door or jamb comprisingatransverse head between and slidably mounted on the side bars; securing means for :holding said head in different adjusted positions on the side bars, a clamping. member carried by said head, means forclampingsaid clampingmember against the opposite side of the door or jamb from the transverse bar to clamptheframe'to. the door or jamb comprising ascrew-having aswivel ball jointconnection to the clampingmemb'erto permit lateral rocking move-v ment of said member, andmeans whereby the carrier 0 may he shiftedto. force the blade into thematerial'of the or jamb to cut the outline of themortise.

knife blade carried by said carrier, means for positioning:

the frame on andclamping it to a 'doorror jamb'with 'said blade positioned below the edge surface ofthe-door or: jamb a distance-equal. tothe'depth of the mortise robe cut, and means on theframefor shifting saidcarrier to" force said blade into the material of the door'or jamb door .or jamb parallel to the surface in which. the mortise is to. be cut'to. cutthe bottom of the mortise.

6. A device for cutting a hingebutt mortise in a door or jamb comprisingra frame including laterally spaced sidel bars, ,a 1 transverse carrier. extending. betweenand mounted. for .slidingmovement on saidfbars adjacent one end thereof, ahorizontal knife blade mounted on said carrier, a headinember, pivot means connecting the head member to the frame adjacent the opposite end thereof for movement of the head member to and from a position overth'eframe, upright knife bladescarriedv by said head member'arranged with their cutting" edges forming. three sides of a rectangle of the size oflthe mortise tobe 'cut, said pivot means forming positioning meansfor the head member and the-upright blades-carried therebywith' respect to the frame and horizontal blade and also forming meanswhereby the head and itsblades may be shifted to and from their operative positions,means'for'clamping" the 'frame'to the-door or jamb'to position the blades "rel ative tothe surfacein which the mortise is to be cut,

means by which the upright blades may be forced "into" thematerialof this "surface to the proper depth'to cut theoutline'of the mortise, and means whereby the'horizontal blade may be then forced into the material of the 10 door or jamb to cut the bottom of the mortise and remove 1,404,650 Richard J an. 24, 1922 the material between the outline cuts. 1,417,431 Vogt May 23, 1922 1,430,874 Anderson Oct. 3, 1922 References Cited in the file of this patent 1,857,783 Hunter May 10, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 2,500,800 Carlson Mar. 14, 1950 483,677 Scott Oct. 4, 1892 FOREIGN PATENTS 724,966 Strubel Apr. 7, 1903 991,062 Hoglund May 2, 1911 808,001 Germany July 9, 1951 

